Quest For The Most Aesthetic

Kristian Solemwrote:

I was going to mention that one too, as well as the Mystery Dihedrals on Romantic Warrior for the stemming prize, but I didn't want to come off as a total Needles junkie...   

Ha! I thought of that one too. Considering that P2 to P8 are basically one massive dihedral system with lots of stemming trickery, Romantic Warrior definitely warrants a mention in that category.

Another contender for arete: https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105753382/bullet-the-blue-sky

Just saw Africa Fusion. Desert Rose for slab.

Not quite the type of arete others have posted, but some beautiful aretes nonetheless: https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105858880/goliath mountainproject.com/route/1…

arete Eurasian Eyes https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/114229629

Ghostface Sprayerwrote:

arete Eurasian Eyes https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/114229629

Also wins award for best pants in picture

Lexí Rowrote:

Nice contender for the arete mountainproject.com/route/1…

Surprised you didn't also mention the winner of the dihedral category that's literally right next to Ecstasy—Pratt's Crack, though admittedly not a stemming dihedral.

Ecstasy:

Pratt's Crack:

Ok I got really excited about this thread and decided to start a list for myself and my notes to keep track of amazingly aesthetic lines. Pictures are worth a thousand words, so excuse the length. Also someone more familiar with the Needles should be able to more completely fill out some of the categories (looking at you, Kris). Someone more familiar with Smith probably can fill out the face category.

Stemming Dihedral:

• El Matador (okay, not a dihedral, but still! how did no one mention this?!)
• Romantic Warrior—Book of Deception
• The Grand Illusion

Dihedral (kind of an iffy category as most are cracks):

• Pratt's Crack (see picture in post above)
• The Red Dihedral (Yggdrasil)
• Incredible Hand Crack
• Jupiter Crack
• The Great Arch

Crack:

• Butterballs
• Airy Interlude
• Scarface

Chimney:

• Plumber's Crack (lol, see Dan's post for picture)
• Steck-Salathé—The Narrows (aesthetic when you're inside ;) )

Arête:

• Ecstasy (see picture in post above) 
• Predator (Seth, I wouldn't call Pred a roof)
• Edge of Time
• Shark's Fin Arête (not much arête climbing, but it looks good!)
• Chain Reaction
• AC Devil Dog (two for the price of one! local fun route I thought I'd throw in just for funziez)

Ridge:

• Nordkante
• Wolf's Head East Ridge
• Pigeon Spire West Ridge

Roof:

• Foops
• The Dangler
• French Connection/Twilight Zone/Ozone/Brozone
• Paisano Overhang
   
• Great Red Roof
• Separate Reality (more aesthetic as a roof than as a crack)
• Passport to Insanity (winner!) 

Slab:

• Hall of Mirrors
• Snake Dike (or should it be in the face category? either way, incredibly aesthetic rock and route!)
• Crest Jewel

Face:

• Bachar-Yerian (duh, for pictures see Kevin's post)
• Peace
• What's My Line?
• The Titanic
• To Bolt or Not to Be

Can’t forget about some South East roofs:

Hands Across America at T-Wall

Emilio Sosawrote:

Can’t forget about some South East roofs:

Hands Across America at T-Wall

Scalded Dog at the Obed

Seriously how is the Obed not being mentioned for roofs, Stephen Kings library and Rasputins ledge gotta be in the conversation. 

"Rage" at the Obed for roofs.

Jaxon Stuhrwrote:

Happened to read Leo Houlding's story of climbing the prophet while procrastinating at work this morning... The A1 beauty has got to be up there with Blood on the Crack as most aesthetic crack... and it turns the wildly exposed arete at the top.

Mercy. 

✅Way off the deck.

✅Plane of perfect black & tan granite, clean af.

✅Those horizontal gray bands.

✅Adjacent to and meets a sharp arete.

Not sure if it takes cams or only rps, but if it takes cams even better.

Tom Egan Memorial Route for crack

Speaking of clean planes of granite, Rostrum p3 has some amazing aesthetics

I think we are missing the most important style of climbing Most Aesthetic Choss.

West Overhang on the Maiden for overhang/roof

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105752212/west-overhang

Princess Puppy Lovrwrote:

I think we are missing the most important style of climbing Most Aesthetic Choss.

Has to be Fisher Towers.

Personally, I’d consider Pay the Devil (below) and Kaleidoscope at the RRG (if you don’t know what kaleidoscope looks like then you need to sport climb more) both as arete climbs 

Can't believe I forgot about the Splatte for slab!!

Childhood's End

Here's my five minute list. Give me another five minutes and I'm sure it would be completely different.

• Arete: Edge Of Time (5.9)
• Boulder: Airwolf (V6)
• Corner: The Shadow (5.13-)
• Crack: Scarface (5.11a/b)
• Exposure: Heaven (5.12d)
• Face: Peace (5.13c)
• Overhang/Roof: The Great Red Roof (5.13b)
• Slab: The Walk Of Life (5.13c)